How-To Pick the Perfect Wallpaper to Suit Your Space

Picking the perfect wallpaper can seem like an impossible task. You want to reinvent your room, but do you play it safe and err on the side of subtle – or take a risk with daring geometrics and fabulous florals?

There’s so much choice. And with room size, lighting and furniture colours to consider too, we know it can be hard to visualise how it will all come together.

So how do you pick the perfect wallpaper, especially when you’re shopping online?

The secret is samples

The last thing we want is for you to order rolls upon rolls of wallpaper to find that it just doesn’t suit your space. 

Wallpaper samples are key to helping you appreciate how certain colours, patterns and textures will work in your room.

In fact, we think they’re the secret to picking the perfect wallpaper.

A swatch lets you see it, feel it and fall in love with it first – and it means you can take your time deciding, with a second opinion from family and friends.

So we’ve made it really easy for you to try before you buy, with our A3 (53cm x 30cm) wallpaper samples available for just £1.25.

Look out for the ‘Order Samples’ option alongside all our papers. And once they arrive, try our top tips on how to put them to good use.

Pin the samples to your wall

Just as you’d patch test your paint colours, we recommend pinning your samples to the wall you plan to paper and leaving them up for a day or two.

Take in how the light catches the wallpaper samples at different times of the day – in the crisp early morning light and the warm artificial glow of a lamp in the evening.

Consider if the colours and pattern create that sense of space or cosy closeness you’re looking for, and check how well they complement your furniture and accessories.

Create an interior mood board

If you’re starting with a blank canvas, get a little crafty and create an interior mood board.

Experiment with how your chosen wallpaper samples coordinate with other interior aspects you have planned for your room.

Use pictures or cuttings of the soft furnishings, woodwork and flooring you have in mind, and pair them with your paint samples and wallpaper swatches.

It’s a great way to put all your ideas together in one place, creating a visual tool that will help you pick the perfect wallpaper.

Watch our mood board master class for a step-by-step guide on how to create a mood board to help design your dream room…

Upcycle with your samples

Once you’ve made all the important decorating decisions, it seems a shame to bin your wallpaper samples. So why not get a little savvy with your swatches and try your hand at some upcycling?

Here are a few of our wallpaper sample hacks that will add instant interest to your interiors:

1. Line the inside of your lampshades to create an eclectic yet elegant look 

2. Frame your wallpaper samples and transform them into your own DIY wall art

3. Line the back of floating box shelves or bookcases for stylish statement shelving

4. Revamp your furniture by covering drawer fronts or cupboard panels, creating a collection of custom pieces

5. Spruce up the inside of your drawers by lining them with patterns that will make them pop

Wallpaper samples really are the secret to picking the perfect wallpaper – and if the urge for upcycling strikes you too, it’s a win-win.

So what are you waiting for?

Click to shop our entire wallpaper collection and sample your heart out. 

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